experimentadesign has a strong tradition of cultural action, ranging from design oriented public service, project culture and creativity as a vector for socioeconomic development.

These are the values that have comprised experimentadesigns' mission since its creation as a non-profit cultural association in 1998. Working towards sharing and the democratisation of knowledge, experimentadesign strives to not only disseminate information but also underline pathways and mediate exchanges within the broad field of contemporary culture.

From a perspective of comprehensive social service and of stimulating local and international critical, productive and creative abilities, experimentadesign conceives, produces and presents original cultural content in varying forms: exhibitions, workshops, seminars and conferences. With a predominantly admission free status, these events are periodic or regular, as is the case of its main event, the EXD biennale.

Acting as an international platform for the creation and dissemination of knowledge, experimentadesign involves and energises a vast array of panellists, promoting dialogue between creators, theorists, academics, entrepreneurs, politicians, leaders, students and the general public.

In 2015, the theme of the 8th edition of the design, architecture and contemporary creativity Biennale was As Far As The Mind Can See, inviting to reflect about the relation between the mind, the individual and creativity. The all program was divided between the cities of Lisbon, Porto and Matosinhos, bringing together international authors, leading in their fields, and gathering a work set which address the various dimensions of the theme, from the perspective of contemporary culture. This year it were presented 45 events that gathered the work of 268 participants of 21 countries.

The seventh edition of the design, architecture and contemporary creativity Biennale. In 2013 the theme No Borders launched the discussion about expanding frontiers and overcoming obstacles. The city of Lisbon hosted 70 events and the work of 92 participants from 25 countries, in 40 programmed spaces.

19 Colours was a pro bono intervention to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. Invited by the Arpad Szenes/Vieira da Silva Foundation, experimentadesign created an intervention in the Jardim das Amoreiras based on the artist's words in her text Testamento (last will).

In 2012, Água de Luso, a Central de Cervejas brand, celebrated 160 years. For this occasion, experimentadesign commissioned a pro-bono social action project, giving the celebration an undertone of solidarity and interlinking it with national creativity.
For this purpose, 8 authors were invited to create a free interpretation of the symbolic and historical legacy of Luso, producing a piece or a limited edition of pieces, with proceeds going towards one of the main initiatives sponsored by Abraço, “HIV Prevention in National Schools”.

The resulting pieces were created by the architects Álvaro Siza and João Carrilho da Graça, the industrial designers Fernando Brízio and Miguel Vieira Baptista, artists Joana Vasconcelos and João Louro and graphic designers Jorge Silva and Ricardo Mealha. They were presented in an exhibition at the Convento da Trindade and sold during the inauguration on the 13th of December 2012. The funds were donated to Abraço to support their HIV prevention activities in schools throughout the country.

The name of the project originated from the bronze “Pureza” (Purity) sculpture by Mestre João da Silva, which can be found at the frontispiece of the Luso Buvette Mineral Springs. The image if this statue has been used by Água de Luso as part of its brand since 1938.

While the idea of the Creative Economy is still relatively recent, its meaning and impact on companies has already been felt and is being strategized for the future. As we evaluate the first decade of the twenty-first century, an urgency to analyse the possibilities and specificities of the Creative Economy transpires, along with the need to conceptualize new approaches to longstanding as well as emerging problems. As such, experimentadesign conceived and launched this cycle of symposiums in line with the EXD'11/LISBOA with the intention of stimulating national power of initiative and entrepreneurship as well as the Portuguese economy as a whole. At a second stage, the goal lies in transporting this initiative into other geographical contexts, transposing its dynamics and guiding its themes in a customized form specific to its recipients.

The first edition of this cycle of symposiums was produced through a collaboration with Trade and Investment UK and the British Embassy in Portugal, focusing on the work produced within the framework of the Creative Economy in 3 countries: Brazil, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

The sixth edition of the design, architecture and contemporary creativity Biennale.
Taking place in Lisbon since 1999, the Biennale involves an international network of agents from a variety of sectors, promoting design, innovation and project culture as vectors of sustainable development on all levels. With the theme Useless, EXD'11/LISBOA brought together 164 participants from 18 countries, articulating a programme of 132 events, of which 25 were nuclear, 60 lateral and 47 educational.

The "Don't Look Back" program series celebrates and offers an in-depth approach to the work of some of the most important contemporary designers.

Fernando Brízio: Inhabited Designs constitutes the first retrospective of one of the foremost Portuguese designers of today. His consistent and consciously crafted production, exhibited and published both nationally and internationally, hinges upon the challenging relationship between object and user, and the creation of multi-dimensional projects that evoke several functions and readings.

The exhibition features multiple formats such as animations, original drawings, catalogues, photographs, models, and, of course, objects: from university projects and never seen before works, to examples of scenography as well as the designers emblematic pieces that have featured on the covers of leading international design magazines.

Curated by experimentadesign, this exhibition emerges from the extensive research around one of the most emblematic figures of contemporary portuguese cultural production, and is expected to itinerate internationally.

Welcome is a series of exhibitions planned by experimentadesign that highlights the vitality of cultural agents and spaces operating beyond the Portuguese capital, emphasizing their role in stimulating creativity and production in the field of design.

The second event of this series resulted in the collective communication design exhibition curated by R2 with André Tavares and organization by the Associação Dados Favoritos from Oporto, where it was first presented.

A set of graphic representations that constitute visual maps with references, techniques and personal influences demonstrating different reflections on the creative process. In full, 60 posters signed by international names within the field of design such as Paula Scher or Stefan Sagmeister.

The first edition of Welcome, a series of exhibitions organized by experimentadesign, inviting events presented by cultural agents outside the spectrum of the Portuguese capital, began with two product design exhibitions curated by and inaugurated at Show Me – design & art gallery in Braga in early 2011.

Celebrating the dynamics of design conceptualized and produced by the Portuguese industry and its importance for the national economy, this exhibition brought together about two hundred examples of success from 75 companies from prominent industries including porcelain, glass, cork and footwear, as well as products that incorporate highly advanced modern technologies which are destined for niche-markets or exportation.

The curatorial approach focused on the territorial comprehensiveness connected to the transversal nature of industrial design. With the stamp "Thought and Made in Portugal", the selection criteria were based on the effective availability within national and international markets, the products' recent conceptualization, commercialization and its commercial success.

This exhibition represented the inauguration of the "Display" series, which emerged from experimentadesign's invitation to various national and international cultural agents from varying creative fields to respond to a thematic challenge.

The Objects, Buildings and Space exhibition explored the relationship between art and space, objects and buildings. Six Lisbon art galleries were invited to conceptualize this idea and ask the artists they represent to produce relevant pieces.

Experimentadesign presented the first comprehensive retrospective on Portuguese graphic and product design, bringing together around 190 projects by more than 70 designers and studios. A vision of national production over a 10 year period with a showcase of over 400 pieces.

Revolution 99-09 presented a specific curatorial perspective, combining two distinctive strands within the exhibition itinerary. The strand of product design, composed by the presence of a variety of typologies both material and (escalas), showcased unique pieces, limited editions and pieces meant for mass-distribution. Within the strand of graphic design, Revolution 99-09 omitted work produced by advertising agencies, centering its presentation on experimental designers that present a posture of authorship and a strong connection to the cultural circuit.

The fifth edition of the design, architecture and contemporary creativity Biennale. The 2009 edition launched an exploration of the multiple impacts of time on design, architecture and contemporary creative practices, looking at how these can in their turn contribute to the formation of new definitions of urgency, velocity and deceleration. EXD'09/LISBOA presented 127 events which involved 287 creative professionals from 28 countries.

2008 marked a new stage for the Biennale with its internationalization. For the first time ever the Biennale took place in another European capital, Amsterdam, having been invited by the City Council in collaboration with DroogDesign.

With the theme Space and Place, the Biennale incorporated 33 events with a total of 65 participants establishing a truly unique dialogue with the Dutch capital, similar to what continuously happens in Lisbon.

In a reflection on public space, identity, belonging and sharing within collective urban everyday living, Droog Event 2: Urban Play represented the base of EXD'08/AMSTERDAM's program. Eighteen urban interventions by renowned creators formed a route along the riverbank, creating playful experiences and interactions between the people and the city.

Warm-Up marked the official launch of the 2009 Biennale. Through an exceptionally high quality program and media hype, it was designed to launch the EXD'09 theme the year before it's opening, with the objective of involving the highest number of people within its spectrum.

Peter Zumthor: Buildings And Projects 1986-2007
Apart from examining Zumthor's remarkable body of work, the exhibition echoes and introduces the theme for the 2009 Biennale – "It's About Time" - in an incisive, multidimensional manner, in sync with the prevailing trends and lines of discussions in culture today. The exhibition was developed through a profound collaboration with the architect himself and the Kunsthaus Bregenz over a period of two years, having only been exhibited in Bregenz and Lisbon.

Conference
Peter Zumthor's lecture underscored the presentation of his first major exhibition in Lisbon with a sold-out conference at the Aula-Magna, speaking to an audience composed of 1652 people.

Catalysts! was an exhibition inaugurated during the 2005 Biennale at the Museum of Communications in The Hague. A collaborative project that brought together designers from around the globe, Catalysts! Explored the relevance and impact of communication design on contemporary culture and the visual languages that constitute the lexicon of collective perception. Catalysts! Underlined the diversity of this symbolic culture, with an exhibition composed by six central themes with distinctive drawings composed by several contemporary designers.

The 4th edition of the Biennale focused on the communicational objects, the medium, and matters of transmission that are perceptible within the gap between those who create and those who receive. The program also focused on the importance of the message as well as of the actual process of interaction as generators of contents and meaning. This edition integrated 18 events with 226 participants, welcoming 101,234 visitros. Among the most emblematic events of EXD'05 was Stefan Sagmeisters urban intervention which was also part of his ongoing project: "Things I have learned in my life so far." which has been presented around the world.

Bright Minds, Beautiful IdeasThe understanding and pleasure of design reflected in the work of 4 paradigmatic designers

Exhibition

25.09.2004 — 05.12.2004
Kunsthal Rotterdam
Rotterdam

The "Bright Minds, Beautiful Ideas" exhibition brought together the creative worlds of two important classic designers – Bruno Munari from Italy and the American couple Charles and Ray Eames – along with two contemporary designers - Marti Guixé from Spain and Jurgen Bey from the Netherlands.

Premiered during EXD'03/Lisboa, the exhibition was presented in the Netherlands with the support of the Mondriaan Foundation. Standing as a project inspired by the creative process of design and its multidisciplinary nature, the exhibition was inaugurated in Rotterdam by the experimentadesign chair and by the director of the Premsela Foundation for Dutch Design.

The expository itinerant module of Portuguese creativity, Voyager 03, worked on the notion of movement, of dislocation, of open space, of time and of speed.

Maintaining its original idea as a showcase for contemporary Portuguese creativity which started with Voyager 01, a new expository format with a strong image was created in 2003. Traveling European roads with an unprecedented mobility and independence, V03 chartered an international tour – Barcelona (in fron of MACBA), Paris (in front of Palais Tokyo and the Musée d'Art Contemporain), Madrid (in front of the Reina Sofia museum) – before being presented in Lisbon at the EXD'03 Biennale, from September to November of 2003, at Praça do Comércio.

Motivated by the desire to take this project to as many people as possible within Portugal and promoting the decentralized disclosure of design and creativity, experimentadesign took the initiative of organizing a national tour for Voyager 03, a feat which was supported by the Ministry of Culture/Institute of the Arts, Galp and the various cities that welcomed the tour.

In what represented one of the strongest and most expressive decentralized contemporary cultural actions in Portugal, 2004 saw Voyager pass through eight Portuguese cities, from Bragança to Ponta Delgada, showing the work and ideas of 50 creators from the areas of architecture, fine arts, photography, graphic design, industrial design, fashion design, product design, film and music, accompanied by parallel cultural programing.

Dedicated to the theme "Beyond Consumption", the program for EXD'03 Lisboa reflected on pressing issues of the current material and cultural production: What ideas and creations reflect the aspirations and needs of consumers? Do we really understand the experiences that construct consumption and the use of design, of cinema, of music, of food or of architecture? Do we eflect on the possibilities and problems that these experiences bring? How can we explore the idea of consumption? To what extent do designers and creative minds integrate these questions into their practices? And what bout users? What conscience do they have of these issues?

The third edition of the Biennale listed 376 participants in 27 events (17 nuclear and 10 tangential).

Portuguese Design

Exhibition

2002
Saint-Étienne Biennale
Saint-Étienne

experimentadesign was invited by the Saint-Étienne Biennale to present an exhibition of contemporary Portuguese design during its second edition, having produced a specific curatorial selection for its fruition.

Fabrica Features

Cultural Programing

2001 — 2002
Fabrica Features, Benetton Chiado
Lisbon

A partnership between experimentadesign, Fabrica and the Benetton communication lab, which resulted in the co-curating of the program for the Fabrica Features space in Lisbon (megastore United Colors of Benetton).

The second edition of the Biennale reflected on the specific methods and processes of project production, on the influence of new technologies and the emergence of new territories of intersection between disciplines, while critically analyzing historic or established forms of modus operandi.

One hundred and eighty creators, theorists and opinion makers participated in 26 events (20 nuclear and 6 tangential). A special mention for the EXD Magazine, a television program created by EXD'01, that was broadcast weekly on RTP2 during the Bienal, and that reached 790.000 viewers.

Portuguese Design 2000

Exhibition

2000
Salone del Mobile
Milan

Experimentadesign participated in the Salone del Mobile di Milano where it presented the exhibition of Portuguese Design 2000.

TUG

Exhibition, Installation

2000
Big Torino
Turim

An exhibition of Portuguese design commissioned by experimentadesign and presented at the International Creativity Biennale "Big Torino".

The first edition of the EXD Biennale brought together 150 national and international participants in a total of 14 events. Launching the foundation of what would become its design and model of execution, the program of EXD'99 presented exhibitions, conferences, workshops, cinema and a mixed media event scattered around Lisbon. The EXD Biennale thus created a new platform of critical reflection on design and project disciplines in Lisbon, galvanizing Portuguese students and professionals, as well as international theorists and creators.

Experimentáveis ou experimentais?

Exhibition

1999
Primavera del Disseny
Barcelona

An exhibition of portuguese product design with the purpose of promoting the EXD'99 Biennale, presented at the Primavera del Disseny event and co-produced with ICEP.

Metamax + Sweet Revolution

Exhibition

1999
Salone del mobile
Milan

Created as a means of promotion for the EXD'99 Biennale and of national creativity, the "Metamax" exhibiton of Portuguese product design and the "Sometimes it Is" audiovisual project were presented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

*Integrated into the programming of the Palácio Quintela and curated by experimentadesign in partnership with IADE.

The exhibitions Fernando Brízio: Inhabited Design, Cartografias do Processo, Mobiletos + Meros Objectos?And Ordem de Compra, were developed under the program of DgArtes/Presidência do Concelho de Ministros – Secretaria de Estado da Cultura de apoio à estrutura.